Frame construction for screens



A ril 23, 1968 H. M. WORTHINGTON FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR SCREENS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

AEK/F/ Mm)? 100 BY Filed Oct. 24

A ril 23, 1968 H. M. WORTHINGTON 3,379,237

FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR SCREENS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 24, 1965 INVENTOR. flz/vzy M/AAEZ warm/ 7W April 23, 1968 H. M. WORTHINGTON 3,379,237

FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR SCREENS 7 Filed Oct. 24, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 0 3,379,237 FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR SCREENS Henry Miller Worthington, Baltimore, Md. Filed Oct. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 504,488 11 Claims. (Cl. 160-371) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE abut and hold the edge of the screening in position therebetween, preventing movement thereof.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The invention is particularly related to eliminating the necessity of holding or bending screening at its periphery into grooves or recesses with splines and other means to hold the screening in position by a readily collapsible box arrangement. Two inverted U-shaped gripping members are brought together with the screening in position so that the screening wvill be held by the abutment between their edges.

The present invention relates to a framing system for screening and other sheet materials and it particularly relates to a framing construction which will hold sheet material-s substantially in a plane so that they may be used for mounting in or at windows or at other openings in walls, ceilings or partitions. Although the present invention will be particularly described in its application to the framing and mounting of screens in windows for the home, it also has a broader application to the mounting or framing of various materials, whether it be window glass, plastic films, or canvas, for industrial, commercial or display purposes.

It has been found that a great deal of manual labor is required in connection with many types of framing materials because of the fact that it is necessary to attach the edges by means of forming them or depressing them into a peripheral groove or recess, following which it is necessary to solder, weld or use resinous plastics to hold them in position. As an alternative it is frequently necessary to use metal elements to hold the sheet material, whether it be sheet metal or glass, in position, increasing the expense, both from the viewpoint of material and from that of labor.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive, durable, attractive framing system in which the attachment of the sheet material, whether it be wire cloth screening, plastic material, canvas, or even glass, may be effected simultaneously with the final formation of the frame, and in which the connection between the frame and the screening or other sheet material will be substantially permanent and not subject to displacement or change in dimension.

Another object is to provide a novel framing system in which the amount of manual labor will be cut down and relatively few parts must be made and handled, and which lends itself to automatic machinery operation.

Still further objects and advantages will appear in the more detailed description set forth below, it being understood, however, that this more detailed description is given by way of illustration and explanation only and not by way .of limitation, since various changes therein may he made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

In accomplishing the above objects it has been found a most important feature of the present invention is the "ice forming of an open-jawed elongated frame element or attachment element which will have a base structure in cross-section and the edges of which will be spread apart but may be pressed together, due to the resiliency or hinging properties of the material, to permit the elements to snap together to form a permanent lock, while at the same time the edges of the sheet material are engaged and locked into position.

Although various cross-sections may be used, it has been found desirable to use a generally rectangular crosssection in which there will be an outside face and an inside face, which will be smooth or ridged with reinforcement, with the other two sides forming the attachment elements. The one side may have the hinging or resiliently moved element which will have a male .or female attachment. The other element is preferably non-movable but has the corresponding attachment for receiving by means of a snap-under connection.

Although it is desirable to have a snap connection between the two elements of the frame when they are pressed together to engage and hold the periphery or edge of the Woven wire, screening or other sheet material, nevertheless other means of securing the attachment may be provided, such as frictional grips, eyelets receiving projected portions from the other elements, and so forth.

In the preferred form of the invention, the rectangular cross-section has a base which may have a reenforcing ridge extending longitudinally thereof. The outside face will be perpendicular and will carry on its outer edge the hinging snap or attachment element. The opposite short face will have the receiving element. The periphery of the wire cloth or screening, when placed in position, may be permanently lodged when the walls are moved to gether to effect the final connection.

These frames may be used both exteriorly and interiorly, with double hung or sash windows, and they may be used interiorly with casement or jalousie or awning type Windows.

In the manufacture of these assembled frames, the screening may be effected from a continuous roll to a framing position and then trimmed. The frame material is desirably cold rolled sheet aluminum or extruded aluminum or other metals or even plastics. The thickness in one embodiment of the invention is 0.024 inch, but this may vary from 0.045 to 0.012.

Wiih the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view upon a reduced scale showing the screen of the present invention with the novel frame in position.

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view upon a large scale as compared to FIG. 1 of the open frame before it has been closed to permanently engage the corners of the screen.

FIG. 3 is a transverse edge sectional view taken upon the line 33 of FIG. 1 showing the frame in closed position engaging the margins and corners of the screen.

FIG. 4 is a transverse fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing an alternative form of frame construction.

FIG. 5 is another embodiment similar to FIG. 3 showing the side of the frame in transverse sectional view.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view showing an alternative form upon a reduced scale as compared 3 to FIGS. 2 to 5 showing a swedge fit which may be used in combination with the connections of FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view upon the same scale as FIG. 3 showing how the contacting edges of the frame when collapsed may be joined together without a snap lock.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view showing an edge cross section before closure for holding a panel or pane in position.

FIG. 9 is a transverse sectional view similar to FIG. 8 showing the frame closed and holding the panel or pane in position.

'FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view showing the com- 'bination of the frame of the present invention assembled with a window construction of the easement type, with the frame of the present invention mounted upon the outside of the easement window.

FIG. 11 is a transverse horizontal view showing the frame of the present invention assembled with the sliding sash-type of window.

FIG. 12 is a transverse horizontal view showing a combination similar to FIG. 11 with the frame of the present application being differently mounted in respect to the sliding sash-type window construction.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the framed screening A has a central screen B with upper and lower members C and side members D.

The side members D have a lower base and an edge or side base 21 which are extruded as one piece of aluminum sheeting or strip together with the moveable top portion 22. and the fixed lower edge portion 23 which have the moveable snap connection 24 and the fixed snap connection 25. The lower fixed portion 23 is formed from the base by a transverse extension 26 which is turned at 27 into the obliquely downwardly extending portion 28 which turns at 29 upon an acute angle to form the uprightly extending portion 30 terminating in the semi-cylindrical inturned and down-turned portion 31 having the fixed inturned edge 32 forming the lower fixed snap connection 25.

The outer transverse leg or edge 21 has an integral extension 33 with a recess 34 to enable it to be more readily bent or moved from the position of FIG. 2 to the position of FIG. 3 as indicated by the arrow 35 when pressure is applied thereto.

The end of the portion 33 terminates in the almost right-angular bend 36 which has an oblique downward extension 37 terminating in the U bend portion 38 which is then turned up at 39 to form the snap edge 40 forming the moveable snap portion 24.

The screening B has a base portion which is cut out in a rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 1 although other shapes may be used such as triangular, hexagonal, or even circular.

The dimension of the screen is such that it will have a projecting peripheral or edge portion 51 which will extend into the open frame of FIG. 2 a distance slightly less than the dimension 52 which is the distance between the parallel transverse portion 26 and 30 as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Then when the upper frame wall portion 33 is moved under pressure 35 from the position FIG. 2 to the position of FIG. 3 the upturned edge portion 39 will first press the border 51 downwardly as indicated by the arrow 53 and then inwardly as indicated at 54 in FIG. 3 to give the clamped effect as shown in FIG. 3.

This will result in the edges 32 and 40 snapping together under resilient tension by reason of the bends 27 and 29 and the oblique portion 28 'and the bend 38 and the oblique portion 37.

The frame structure of the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3 will be mounted inside of the structures such as indicated at 131 of FIGS. 8 and 9 or 178 of FIG. 10, as well as the member 201 of FIG. 11 and the structure as shown in FIG. 12 which carries the mounting 4. member 228, and it will hold the flat screening B along its periphery by a clamping abutment between inverted U--shaped members 31 and 38 which will abut and clamp the screening between the ends 32 and 40.

The lower latch 30 carries a downwardly facing U member 31, while the upper latch which is movable carries the upwardly facing U member 38. These bends or US on the elongated extensions 30 and 37, which extend from the ends of the members 28 and 33, will give a tight resilient clamp and firmly hold the wire screening in position.

Referring to the alternative structures of FIGS. 4 and 5 where similar parts are indicated by the same numerals and letters provided with a D and D that is 'a superior 1 and a superior 2, the upper moveable walls .33 of FIG. 4- will be moved down from the dot and dash position 33' so that the inwardly inclined. edge will snap under the inturned cylindrical ridge 61 formed at the upper edge of the inside transverse wall portion 30'. At the same time the movement indicated by the arrow 35' will be stopped by the upper end 62 of the inwardly folded portion 63 formed from the extension 64 of the base wall 20. In this case the portion holding the transverse member 30 will be parallel to or aligned with the base wall 20 as indicated in 65. In this case the screening B as shown in FIG. 4 will have the down turn marginal portion 51' withv the curved part 66 of the screening resting on the curved inside face of the portion 61.

This is similar to the support on the curve face 67 of the portion 31 for the portion 68 of the screen in FIG. 3. The form of frame as shown in FIG. 4 may also be excluded.

In both FIGS. 2 and 4 the recess 34 or 34' enables ready bending under pressure 35.

In the form of FIG. 5 the only change has been in the fixed snap member 70 which has an inturned bent back portion 71 forming the rounded face 72 upon which the screening when curved inwardly at 73 may be supported. The snap end 75 of the wall 33 will then lodge under the portion 71 of the snap structure 70.

The splined screen connection as shown in FIG. 6 may be used at the corners or in the run of members C and D to lessen the stress upon the frame. As shown, it consists of a U base E in which 'an inverted double legged -U member may be inserted as indicated at F. The screening B will have a much longer marginal portion which will be held by the resilient legs 81 and 82 against the side walls 83 and 84 of the base U cross section 85. The legs 81 and 82 are joined together by the outturned ledge portions 86 and 87 connected by a top member 88. Each of the members E and F extruded of aluminum or stainless steel.

In FIG. 7 the moveable member has a flat portion 101 and a downwardly inclined oblique portion 102 which terminates in the curved portion 103 with an upturned edge 104 terminating in the cut off space 105. This may be jammed downwardly in the direction indicated by the arrow 106 against the inturned end portion 107 extending downwardly from the bend 108 at the upper end of the transverse portion 109.

The screen B may have its marginal portion 110 firmly jammed between the inclined gripping portions 104 and 105 on the one hand and 107 on the other hand. The amount of wedging will be controlled by the resiliency of material forming the structures 101 and 109.

In the alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 the side edge adjacent to the base may be mounted onto the supporting structure 131 by epoxy glue at 132 or by mechanical fastening means such as a screw, bolt or nail not shown. The recess 133 enables the top wall member 134 to be bent downwardly as indicated. by the arrow 135. The top wall has a downwardly projecting outwardly inclined integral extension 136 having the lower bend 137 and the upturned end 138 terminating in the cut off edge .140. The wall 134 has an extension 141 beyond the junction 142 of the portion 136. At the end of the extension 141 there is an inclined =bent portion 143 which terminates in the outstanding portion 144 carrying the flexible or resilient edging 145 which may be of rubber or synthetic plastic permanently mounted in position.

The lower wall also has a junction 146 which forms a union with the integral upwardly extending snap portion 147 which terminates in the bend 148 and in a downturn engaging element 149. Beyond the junction .146 there is an extension 150, the bend 151, the upright portion 152, the bend 153, the outward extension 154 and the resilient edging 155. When the upper wall 134 is moved downwardly or pressed downwardly as indicated by the arrow from the position of FIG. 8 to the position of FIG. 9, the resilient edges and 155 will clamp down on the pane or panel edge or margin .156 to form a firm strong mounting.

In FIG. 10 the framed screening A is shown held in position by the clamping plates 175, held in position by the screws 176 on the spacer member 177. The screws are mounted in the side structure 178 by their threaded ends 179.

The window structure has a fixed frame 180 and a moveable frame 181 carrying the central pane 182. The fixed frame 180 is also mounted on the side structure 178.

In FIG. 11 the frame A of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 is mounted by means of bolts 200 on the projecting portions 201 of the frames 202. This is alongside of the sliding window frame structure 203 carrying the pane 204.

In FIG. 12 there is shown an adjustment which may be readily made to accommodate the frame A of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 to different size or spacings. In this structure 2 channel members 225 and 226 are provided for holding the structures D of the frame A. One of them may be provided with a resilient V-shaped adjustment 227 held in position by the screw or bolt 228. This contrasts to the structure FIG. 11 where only angle members 229 are used to hold the frame elements D in position. The unit of FIG. 12 also has a sliding window frame 235 with a pane 236.

The present invention shows an entirely new concept in metal framing particularly with aluminum framed screens. The sections shown and the frames disclosed in this invention greatly decrease the cost of installing the screen.

The frame operates as a self-hinging device with clamping and locking action altogether different from a plastic or fibre spline and the screen material is automatically pushed down into the section, then drawn tight and finally clamped or locked in the frame permanently.

This entirely eliminates hand rolling of screening, plastic, glass, cloth or a combination of one or more thereof. It also completely eliminates plastic, metal or fibrous spline to hold the material into position.

The locking section may be made of any suitable metal or plastic material but metal is best and aluminum is preferred. The actual metal or alloy may be of aluminum steel, magnesium, and so forth. The metal could also be cold or hot rolled sheet or extruded.

The section as previously mentioned can be used to frame any flexible material and with slight modification may be adapted to frame glass or any solid sheetlike metal material. Particular reference however, is made to its use in framing insect screening of metal or plastic coated fibre glass and framing sheet plastics such as flexible polyethylene and mylar. Such framed materials will have a wide use in building industry and the use of this frame with such materials as screening or plastic could be used interchangeably with the present day frames, which employ metal, plastic or fibrous spline.

The preferred embodiment, according to the present invention, is that shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, in which there is an outside rectangular cross-section structure D which may be fitted into the outside rectangular frames,

E as indicated at 131, 178 and 202 of FIGS. 8 to 11, with the J cross-sections 28 and 37 extending toward one another and latching at their ends 32 and 40 when the screening is held in position as indicated in FIG. 3.

These J-shaped cross-sections terminate in U sections, as indicated at 38, extending inwardly toward the center of the screen B, and 31, extending outwardly away from the center of the screen B. The extrusion or rolled form cross-sections, as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3, may be desirably of metal and they may consist of one-piece material, such as aluminum extrusions, having a thickness varying from .019 to .045 inch.

What is claimed is:

1. A rectangular frame wire screening construction having an outside rectangular supporting structure gripping the periphery of a sheet of wire screening comprising an interlatching channel metal frame member of rectangular box-like cross-section having an outer side mounted onto the outside supporting structure, a base side, a top hinged side and inside movable and nonmovable latch hook-like engaging elements movable together and gripping the screening at the periphery thereof, said latch elements consisting of J-shaped cross-sections inwardly directed toward one another and extending inwardly from the base side and the hinged side and carrying at their adjacent inside ends inverted U-shaped end portions, said end portions being forced past each other at their end portions and gripping the periphery of the screening at their end portions.

2. The construction of claim 1, said J cross-section members extending toward each other with the U-shaped ends of the Js positioned so as to latch with each other and with the J of the base member being inverted and having its U-shaped member turned inwardly toward the center of the screening and with the U cross-section of the top side being turned outwardly from the center of the screening and the U cross-section of the top member being deeper and more V-shaped than the U cross-section of the latch member associated with the base.

3. A frame wire screening construction having an outside supporting structure gripping the periphery of a sheet of wire screening comprising a one-piece interlatching channel metal frame member of rectangular box-like cross section having an outer side mounted onto the outside, a base side, a top hinged side, a movable latch hook-like engaging element of J-shaped cross section attached to the hinged side at its edge away from the outer side having a U-shaped free end under portion, a non-movable latch hook-like engaging element of J- shaped cross section attached to the base side at its edge away from the outer side and having a U-shaped free end under portion to latch with said first mentioned under portion, said latch hooks extending toward each other and being positioned on the side of the channel metal frame member away from said outer side, said U-shaped end portions being forced past each other and abutting at their U-shaped end portions and gripping the periphery of the screening at their abutment.

4. The construction of claim 3, said U-shaped endportions when in abutment forming an inwardly directed ridge along the inside edge of the rectangular cross-section member and said base side also having a reinforcing ridge, also closely adjacent said first mentioned ridge and being closely juxtapositioned thereto.

5. The construction of claim 3, said engaging elements being integral with the inside ends of the base side and the top inside and said inwardly directed wall element of the top inside extending downwardly and obliquely to the U-shaped end-portions and said inside wall element extending upwardly from the end of the base side, being parallel to the outer side and being perpendicular to the base side.

6. The construction of claim 3, said top hinge side being notched at its junction to the outer side, permitting readier bending thereof into latched position.

7. The construction of claim 3, said rectangular crosssection frame member being a one-piece aluminum extrusion having a thickness of about 0.024 inch.

8. The construction of claim 3, said latch elements consisting of I cross-section members extending toward each other, with the U-shaped ends of the Is positioned so as to latch and abut each other and with the J of the base member being inverted and having its U-shaped member turned inwardly and with the U cross-section of the top side being turned outwardly and the U crosssection of the top member being deeper and more V- shaped than the U cross-section of the latch member associated with the base.

9. The construction of claim 3, said latch elements being positioned so that the latch element of the top side will snap inside of the latch element of the base and so that the screening will extend over and wrap around the inverted U portion of the base latch element.

10. The construction of claim 3, said frame member having its base side and its top side inturned toward each other so as to substantially come close together adjacent and inside of the latch abutment.

11. The construction of claim 3, said latch abutment being between the plane of the top side and the plane of the base side and being closely adjacent the plane of the top side and closely adjacent the inside edge of the b0xlike cross-section.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 377,991 2/ 1888 Connell. 1,104,151 7/1914 Stein 160-381 1,105,857 8/1914 Snook 160-381 1,588,161 6/1926 Bost 160-371 X 1,665,475 4/1928 Plym 160-391 1,794,534 3/1931 Norquist et al 160-381 X 2,325,500 7/1943 Fosberg 160-383 2,570,791 10/1951 Grebe 160-391 2,709,489 5/1955 Keebler 160-395 X 3,142,550 7/1964 Kuehne 160-371 X 3,143,165 8/1964 Lewis et a1 160-371 X DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

P. C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiner. 

